Jean Claude Michelou – MODERATOR

Jean Claude Michelou, is a gems and jewelry resource strategists.

He has been active in gemstone trading, mining , cutting and export since 1977 as well as rough colored gemstones sourcing strategist from different origins. He has served 8 years as Vice president of his 16 years on the Board of Director of the International Colored Gemstone Association , ICA. More recently he has been active as a consultant for the USAID,  the World Bank, Government agencies and Mining companies   and has worked   in different countries on the development of infrastructures and policies from mine to market for the gemstone industry. He has been working on the development of Fair and Ethical Trade and Mining Standards and Social responsibilities initiatives for Artisanal and Small Scale mining communities. He is an Advising Director to the ICA Board , heading the Compliance and Sustainibility committee .

He is ICA Chairman of the Ambassadors and Communication committees as well as the Editor-in-Chief of  colored Gemstone International Publication,  InColor magazine. Jc Michelou served as Senior Technical Advisor for the UNICRI (UN) on the Gems and Jewelry Supply chain for the project “Illicit Trafficking of Precious Metals and Traceability and Ethical Origins of Colored Gemstones”. He is also on the Board of Advisor of the Gemstones and Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub as well as an active contributor to the OECD forums on precious metal and gemstones.